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Do People still buy CD's?

Earlier this week, I was reading an article about Nicki Minaj lashing out against Target and Walmart for not selling her latest re-released album. Allegedly, Target and Walmart both reported low sales of the original album and didn’t want to take a risk with this one. While reading this I thought, “Who still buys CD’s?”
When I was younger, I remember the excitement of going into my local Sam Goody or any store that sold music to look at some of my favorite artist CD'S. Fast forward a few years later, I am no longer buying CD's, I am busy downloading music online. The last CD I bought was in 2005. Now I prefer to get it from the comfort of my bed,
Today, many stores that sold music only no longer exists. The music is now being sold at major stores like Target and Walmart. The implementation of iTunes has made it even easier for people to get music now. CD players and walkmans are basically extinct now. And just about everyone has an iPod or a device that plays digital music. So why not have all music go digital? Many artists have higher iTunes sales than in-store sales.
Well I know for a fact that there are some people who still cherish the experience of going to the store to buy a CD. Although that experience isn’t that big of a deal to me, it is to others. Some people may not feel comfortable downloading music online while others just want to support the artist the old fashioned way. Whatever is chosen, as long as the consumer is happy is all that matters.

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Cyber Monday 2012 expectations

Cyber Monday was a term created in 2005 by a shopping trade group that noticed online sales spiked the Monday after Thanksgiving. It is estimated that Cyber Monday would be the biggest online shopping day of the year. This year Americans are expected to spend 1.5 billion online.
So what sales are out there? Many stores are offering free shipping. Some are offering free overnight shipping. According to Washingtonpost.com, Target has a great sale on cameras. Once could get a Nikon Coolpix camera for $100 off at $149, or WiFi speakers from Sonos bundled with a $100 Target gift card. Many retailers are extending their deals, meaning online savings will be available throughout the next several days.
Cyber Monday can also have a downside. According to examiner.com, The 132 websites were seized because Feds suspected them of selling counterfeit merchandise to unsuspecting customers. In total, ICE's Operation In Our Sites has seized 1,630 alleged pirate sites. Items such as Nike sneakers, Tiffany jewelry, Oakley sunglasses and even baby carriers were being sold on counterfeits sites. When shopping online, one must buy from a legitimate site in order to not get scammed.
Although Cyber Monday has been around for a few years, sales on this day has increased each year it has been around. Cyber Monday will most certainly live up to its expectation of being the busiest online shopping day of the year. Black Friday has met its match.

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Black Friday 2012: Earlier Hours?

Black Friday 2012: Earlier Hours?
This year major retailers such as Walmart and Best Buy opened their doors on Thanksgiving Day for eager shoppers to get an early start on Black Friday sales. There were people lining up in front the stores as early as 3pm Thanksgiving Day in order to be one of the first to get their hand on some goodies. According to Bloomberg.com, in order to get shoppers to spend more than last year, retailers have continued to turn Black Friday, originally a one-day event after Thanksgiving, into a week’s worth of deals and discounts. A couple of years ago chains started opening at midnight and this year Wal-Mart Stores Inc and Toys “R” Us Inc. pushed it to 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Other chains began offering Black Friday deals online as early as last weekend.
So how much do earlier hours for Black Friday actually help businesses? Well Marshall Cohen, a retail analyst for NPD Group Inc. said that the Thanksgiving rush has turned Black Friday into what shopping is like on a typical Saturday. He also said that just because they extended hours doesn’t mean shoppers have more relatives to buy for and more money to spend. More hours doesn’t always mean more business.
This extension of the Black Friday sales onto Thanksgiving Day has sparked protests especially from Wal-Mart employees. More than 26 protests took place on Thanksgiving with less than 50 employees participating. Employees felt that earlier hours would give them less time celebrating with their families. Ironically the earlier start time attracted more parents and kids than expected.
I guess the main goal was to get consumers spending. If consumers are spending more then it is a good indicator that times are getting better.

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Coupons and the consumer

"BUY 2 GET 1 FREE!!"
"GET 30% OFF UR PURCHASE OVER $25!"

Coupons can make you or break you. In my case they help me save a few dollars or cause me to spend a few dollars I barely had. As an avid on-line shopper, having coupons are usually a big determining factor in whether I purchase something or not. Having coupons are great when I intend to make a purchase. But when I'm just browsing different sites and I see a great discount I could get buy using the specific coupon is where the trouble begins. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has dealt with this situation.

One very specific incident was a few weeks ago when I received a 30% off coupon from Payless via text. I usually forward the text to my older sister because she shops there on the regular. So a few days after receiving the text i went to Payless because i was looking for a pair of black flats. Unfortunately I didn't find what I was looking for so I decided to leave the store. On my way out I saw a pair of fuchsia wedges on sale for $20 from $34. I had been eying the shoe for a while but didn't plan on getting them anytime soon. but then I remembered I had the 30% off coupon. That coupon was more motivation for me to get the shoe because I didn't want to pay $20 for the shoes. I justified my purchase by telling myself that I paid $14 for a shoe that originally cost $34. I saved myself money right? But I still had to find a pair of black flats. Now I will have to spend another set of money because I bought those wedges. The next day I was able to find the shoe I was looking for and still used the coupon and "saved" some money.

The point of this is to show that although coupons play a big role in consumer behavior sometimes, that role isn't always a good one. Sometimes it forces consumers to spend their money on things that they didn't have an immediate need for only so that they could use the coupon before it expired. Moral of this experience:Just because I have a coupon, it doesn't mean I have to use it.

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YouTube Reviews: A Consumer's Lifesaver

Have you ever wanted to try out a certain product but wasn't sure if it was worth your money. Or maybe you were scared that it would not work. In many cases like this people would just take the risk and get the product. If the product works then that's great; if it didn't people just accepted the loss. Nowadays one can search on YouTube for video reviews for different products ranging from beauty related items to electronics or even games. Such a life saver isn't it?
This is how it works. Personally I use YouTube for beauty related videos. For example , I am interested in dying my hair using Dark and Lovely's Permanent Hair dye in the color Red Hot Rhythm. Now with the model on the box being a couple shades lighter than me, i am unable to get an accurate idea of how the color would look on me. So in order to solve this I would go onto YouTube.com and search for "Dark and Lovely's Permanent Hair dye Red Hot Rhythm" and a lot of videos would show up, providing that there are video on the specific item you are interested in. Doing this will allow me to see how the hair color turned out on others, their thoughts on it and the different techniques used to achieve the result. When using this search process for other items can either strengthen or diminish your want for the product.

Using YouTube as a form of researching a product can save you a lot of money or help you find a product that is right for you. Long gone are the days where people risked wasting their money on bogus products.

Current Mood: calm

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Air Jordans: Worth the risk?

What is the big deal behind Jordans? Why are people literally risking their lives for a $200 pair of sneakers that cost less than $20 to make? Why are people spending $200+ on sneakers? These are questions a non-sneakerhead like me always ask when it's that time of year when you see hundreds of people lined up in front of a front of a Foot Locker in the hood or in the city.
Released in 1985, Air Jordans or Jordans was first worn by now retired basketball player Michael Jordan when he was a rookie in the NBA. Air Jordans are now Nike's best selling basketball shoe. They have various sneakers not only for use when playing basketball but also for casual use. This goes for other sneaker brands as well, so what makes Air Jordans so special?
The main reason is that everyone wants to be like Mike. With Michael Jordan being one of the greatest basketball players of all time this was a way to get a piece of him-wearing sneakers designed by him. But is it really worth risking your lives? Last Decemeber was the re-release of the Concords and Jordans fans went wild. This was because it was about 10 years since the Concords were last released. As usual people lined up for hours outside of stores to get a pair of the sneakers and as usual there were assaults and stabbings and a death. Because of these activities occurring so often when there is a major release of an Air Jordan sneaker, people are asking that the sneakers provide more availability for the sneakers, lower prices or even have Michael Jordan speak out on these behaviors (I am sure he knows what is happening).
Nevertheless it's not the sneakers that are the issue but the behaviors of the people buying them.Is risking my life worth it for a pair of sneakers? I think not.

hello!

Hi!! Welcome to my blog.

Hello!

Welcome to my blog!!